What #linux #desktopenvironment do you use? I’ve only ever used base #fedora #gnome. I tried out #kde but it just felt like windows to me, which I don’t want.

Work on the KDE Plasma desktop sounds like it continues to go very well, with some really important bug fixes arriving to make the experience a lot nicer. My favourite Linux desktop environment and what powers the Desktop Mode on Steam Deck.
https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2025/03/kde-plasma-6-3-4-fixes-the-most-common-plasma-crash-now-down-to-zero-very-high-priority-bugs/

This week's Linux and FOSS news:

LINUX NEWS

GNOME 48 "Bengaluru" released with dynamic triple buffering to boost the performance on low-end GPUs, Wayland color management protocol support, new Adwaita fonts, HDR (High Dynamic Range) support, new Wellbeing feature with screen time tracking, new Display Control utility, new windows centered by default, OSD notifications for headphone connections, new Papers app as the default document viewer, notifications grouped by apps, improvements to Nautilus and Software, Loupe got image editing support etc.:
https://9to5linux.com/gnome-48-bengaluru-desktop-environment-officially-released-this-is-whats-new

Serpent OS changes name to AerynOS, because of "serpent" having a negative association:
https://9to5linux.com/ikey-dohertys-serpent-os-changes-name-to-aerynos
(Instead of a "negative" name, now it has a name that's hard to spell correctly, judging from how many people spell Python incorrectly lol)

Fedora 42 Beta available with new KDE edition (not spin anymore!), COSMIC spin, refreshed Anaconda installer, DNF5 improvements etc.:
https://betanews.com/2025/03/18/fedora-linux-42-beta-asahi-kde-cosmic-new-features/

Kali Linux 2025.1 released with Xfce 4.20, KDE Plasma 6.2, refreshed theme, new keyboard shortcuts, kernel update, new partition layout etc.:
https://9to5linux.com/kali-linux-2025-1-ethical-hacking-distro-is-here-with-xfce-4-20-refreshed-theme

Lead developer of the Dash to Panel GNOME extension quits due to drama around the animated heart icon with a donation message:
https://news.itsfoss.com/dash-to-panel-drama/
(Linux isn't Linux without a drama each week...)

PINE64 RISC-V tablet (PineTab-V) gets new Debian-based distro, new accelerometer, a fix for a slow charging issue, an LED status indicator light, and a unique identifier for the PineTab-V in the EEPROM:
https://news.itsfoss.com/pinetab-v-upgrade/

(FOSS news in comment)

LXQt 2.2 desktop environment is coming with better Wayland support, improved QTerminal, and fixes across the board.
https://linuxiac.com/what-to-expect-from-lxqt-2-2-desktop-environment/

This week's Linux and FOSS news:

LINUX NEWS

GNOME 48 RC available with dynamic triple buffering, Wayland color management protocol, support for centering new windows by default, NVIDIA improvements, updates for Nautilus and Settings etc.:
https://9to5linux.com/gnome-48-rc-adds-dynamic-triple-buffering-wayland-color-management-protocol

KDE Plasma 6.4 will include color code recognition for KRunner to display the color with textual representation, Disks & Devices widget will automatically check newly-connected disks for file system errors and offer corrections, fixes for keyboard navigation issues, Spectacle redesign etc.:
https://alternativeto.net/news/2025/3/kde-team-unveils-new-features-and-enhancements-planned-for-upcoming-kde-plasma-6-4-release/

KDE Gear 24.12.3 released with improvements for Dolphin, Konsole, Tokodon, Kasts, Konqueror, Itinerary, PlasmaTube, Kate, Kdenlive, AudioTube, NeoChat, Okular etc.:
https://9to5linux.com/kde-gear-24-12-3-improves-dolphin-konsole-tokodon-itinerary-kasts-and-more

PipeWire 1.4 released with RISC-V support, MIDI2 support, JACK Control API etc.:
https://9to5linux.com/pipewire-1-4-is-out-with-risc-v-support-midi2-support-jack-control-api-and-more

Wine 10.3 released with Wayland clipboard support, initial Vulkan video decoding, Compiler-RT included in ARM builds, improved Winelib C++ compatibility etc.:
https://alternativeto.net/news/2025/3/wine-10-3-maintenance-update-adds-wayland-clipboard-support-vulkan-video-decoding-and-more/

Ubuntu 25.04 will include Papers instead of Evince for PDF reader:
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2025/03/ubuntu-25-04-new-pdf-viewer-app-official

Tails 6.13 released with enhanced Wi-Fi troubleshooting, updated Tor client and Tor Browser, ability to detect partitioning errors when Tails is started for the first time, bug fixes:
https://alternativeto.net/news/2025/3/tails-6-13-released-with-enhanced-wi-fi-troubleshooting-and-key-software-updates/

Ubuntu Touch (UBports) 20.04 OTA-8 released with VoLTE support for Volla phone users, support for WPA3-protected Wi-Fi networks, bug fixes, security updates:
https://9to5linux.com/ubuntu-touch-ota-8-released-with-volte-support-for-volla-phone-users

(FOSS news in comment)

It's just so satisfying how the windows snap together in KDE Plasma, ngl.

If you use this desktop environment like Windows 10's desktop environment, you are limiting yourself, ngl.

This week's Linux and FOSS news:

LINUX NEWS

KDE Plasma 6.3 released with improved fractional scaling, pixel-perfect zoom, improved Night Light, redesigned Drawing Tablet settings page, System Monitor has lower resource consumption, GPU monitoring now also works on FreeBSD, notification if an apps stops due to running out of memory, Discover can open Flatpak URLs, highlight changed permissions, and indicates whether app is from original devs etc.:
https://ostechnix.com/kde-plasma-6-3-released/

KDE Frameworks 6.11 released with search providers for Nix packages, Docker Hub and Mozilla Developer Network in KRunner, option to undo changes text in filename field for open/save dialogs in KDE apps, keyboard navigation and accessibility improvements to Plasma Discover and Kirigami UI components etc.:
https://9to5linux.com/kde-frameworks-6-11-adds-search-providers-for-nix-packages-docker-hub-and-more
(Pretty cool stuff, especially the extra search providers for KRunner. I use MDN quite a lot during the development of FosseryWeb)

GNOME 48 Beta is available for public testing with Adwaita fonts, improved screen time limit support, new GNOME Display Control (gdctl) utility, GDM (GNOME Display Manager) no longer requires Xwayland if it’s installed in a Wayland-only environment, support for opening Flatpak URLs in Software etc.:
https://9to5linux.com/gnome-48-beta-is-now-available-for-public-testing-with-adwaita-fonts-new-wallpaper

GNOME 47.4 released with performance improvements for Nautilus, bug fixes for other GNOME programs:
https://9to5linux.com/gnome-47-4-released-with-performance-improvements-for-nautilus-bug-fixes

GNOME website is updated with new design, more colors, simplified header, simple animations:
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2025/02/gnome-website-revamp-goes-live

Post 1/4

KDE Plasma 6.3 has been released and it's another beautiful sounding release! Filled with new features and fixes for my favourite Linux desktop environment. Plasma is also used on the Steam Deck for the Desktop Mode.
https://www.gamingonlinux.com/2025/02/kde-plasma-6-3-is-out-now-with-big-fractional-scaling-improvements-drawing-tablet-upgrades-and-more/

This week's Linux and FOSS news:

LINUX NEWS

GNOME 48 will include sidebar for Text Editor, new default fonts, Digital Health / Wellbeing functionality:
https://www.phoronix.com/news/GNOME-Text-Editor-Sidebar
(After FosseryWeb sidebar, get ready to have a sidebar in Text Editor too lol)

GTK 5 drops X11 support, introduces Android backend for the toolkit:
https://www.phoronix.com/news/GTK-X11-Now-Deprecated
(Meanwhile on Wayland, many video chat services don't support screen sharing, video recording is still problematic (at least on Debian), but no problem, just drop X11 and ignore the mentioned use cases...)

KDE Gear 24.12.2 released with improvements for Dolphin, Itinerary, Tokodon, Kate, Kamera, Kdenlive, NeoChat etc.:
https://9to5linux.com/kde-gear-24-12-2-improves-dolphin-itinerary-tokodon-and-many-other-kde-apps

CachyOS ISO snapshot for February includes Linux kernel 6.13, NVIDIA 570 driver, KDE Plasma 6.2.5, enabled tap-to-click by default for the X11 session etc.:
https://9to5linux.com/cachyos-iso-snapshot-for-february-2025-brings-linux-kernel-6-13-nvidia-570-driver

Tails 6.12 released with security fixes for Tor circuits and persistent storage, bug fixes:
https://9to5linux.com/tails-6-12-anonymous-os-fixes-security-issues-in-tor-circuits-persistent-storage

(FOSS news in reply)

What's your favorite #desktopenvironment ? #linux

This week's Linux and FOSS news:

LINUX NEWS

Linux kernel 6.13 released with AMD GPU improvements, Nouveau driver fixes, improved network stability, memory leak fixes, security updates etc.:
https://ostechnix.com/linux-kernel-6-13-released/

GNU Linux-Libre kernel 6.13 released with rtw8812a, rtw8821a, bmi270, aw88081, ntp8835 and ntp8918 drivers removed:
https://9to5linux.com/gnu-linux-libre-6-13-kernel-released-for-software-freedom-lovers

GNOME 48 alpha available for public testing, with OSD notifications for headphone connections, support for screen time and health breaks, support for screen time limits, various improvements:
https://9to5linux.com/gnome-48-alpha-is-now-available-for-public-testing-heres-whats-new

GNOME 47.3 released with improved frame rate for monitors attached to secondary GPUs, improved input-output latency of cursor movements, enhanced Xwayland support, bug fixes:
https://9to5linux.com/gnome-47-3-improves-frame-rate-for-monitors-attached-to-secondary-gpus

GNOME 46.8 released with quicker thumbnail loading in Nautilus, improved support for the Trisquel GNU/Linux distro in Boxes, bug fixes:
https://9to5linux.com/gnome-46-8-release-speeds-up-thumbnail-loading-in-the-nautilus-file-manager

Archinstall 3.0.2 released with support for Wayfire Wayland compositor, improved Btrfs support, improved local and remote mirror list parsing etc.:
https://9to5linux.com/arch-linux-installer-archinstall-gets-support-for-the-wayfire-wayland-compositor

Solus 4.7 released with Linux kernel 6.12 LTS, Budgie 10.9.2, GNOME 47, KDE Plasma 6.2, Xfce 4.20, out-of-the-box support for more NVIDIA GPUs, updated packages:
https://9to5linux.com/solus-4-7-released-with-linux-6-12-lts-gnome-47-kde-plasma-6-2-and-xfce-4-20

Rhino Linux 2025.01 released with Linux kernel 6.12.3, dynamic workspaces, Hello Rhino app with project links, new GRUB theme, new Rhino Stampede package for testing latest features, Pacstall updates:
https://ostechnix.com/rhino-linux-2025-1-released/

Wine 10.0 released with full support for the ARM64EC architecture, improved high-DPI scaling, support for Vulkan child window rendering under X11, compatibility with Vulkan 1.4.303 etc.:
https://betanews.com/2025/01/21/wine-10-linux-windows-apps/

(FOSS news in reply)

This week's Linux and FOSS news:

LINUX NEWS

SteamOS becomes available on handhelds other than Steam Deck, including Lenovo Legion Go S:
https://news.itsfoss.com/steamos-rolling-out/

Budgie 10.10 will be Wayland-only, planned for first quarter of 2025:
https://9to5linux.com/budgie-10-10-desktop-will-be-wayland-only-as-work-continues-on-budgie-11

COSMIC Alpha 5 released with new media player, enhanced Alt+Tab, improved Variable Refresh Rate handling, new Users page in Settings etc.:
https://ostechnix.com/cosmic-alpha-5-released/

KDE Plasma 6.3 is available for beta testing, with ability to clone a panel, set keyboard shortcuts to move windows between Custom Tiling tile zones, support for remembering the active virtual desktop per activity etc.:
https://9to5linux.com/kde-plasma-6-3-is-now-available-for-public-beta-testing-heres-whats-new

KDE Frameworks 6.10 released with support for converting between "rack units" in KRunner, new Breeze open-link icon, new icons for the PCManFM-Qt file manager etc.:
https://9to5linux.com/kde-frameworks-6-10-adds-support-for-converting-between-rack-units-in-krunner

Flatpak 1.16 released USB device listing, support for KDE search completion, support for compiling Flatpak using Meson instead of Autotools, support for creating a private Wayland socket with the “security context” extension to allow the compositor to identify connections from sandboxed apps as belonging to the sandbox etc.:
https://9to5linux.com/flatpak-1-16-linux-app-sandboxing-and-distribution-framework-officially-released

Slackware-based distro Absolute Linux gets discontinued due to rising expenses and lack of time of lead dev:
https://news.itsfoss.com/absolute-linux-discontinued/

Debian 12.9 released with 72 bug fixes and 38 security updates:
https://9to5linux.com/debian-12-9-bookworm-arrives-with-72-bug-fixes-and-38-security-updates

Tails 6.11 released with important security fixes, detection of partitioning errors when running Tails from a USB flash drive:
https://9to5linux.com/tails-6-11-anonymous-linux-os-released-with-critical-security-fixes-and-new-features

(FOSS news in reply)

This week's Linux and FOSS news:

LINUX NEWS

Xfce 4.20 released with experimental Wayland support (Labwc and Wayfire compositors), HiDPI displays, support for SVG wallpapers on large screens, support for setting custom colors for icon labels and icon backgrounds, etc.:
https://9to5linux.com/xfce-4-20-desktop-environment-released-with-experimental-wayland-support

Kali Linux 2024.4 released with Linux kernel 6.11.2, GNOME 47, Python 3.12, Pipx instead of Pip, new tools, discontinued 32-bit builds, improved Raspberry Pi support etc.:
https://news.itsfoss.com/kali-linux-2024-4-release/

Fedora Asahi Remix 42 released with KDE Plasma 6.2, GNOME 47, x86/x86-64 emulation integration including support for AAA games based on Vulkan 1.4, initial setup wizard based on Calamares:
https://9to5linux.com/fedora-asahi-remix-41-released-for-apple-silicon-macs-with-kde-plasma-6-2

Ubuntu provides users easier access to latest Intel drivers with support for Intel Arc B580 and B570 “Battlemage” discrete GPUs:
https://www.omgubuntu.co.uk/2024/12/ubuntu-intel-battlemage-gpu-driver-preview

System76's AMD-powered Pangolin Linux laptop gets 2K display, AMD Ryzen 8945HS processor, AMD Radeon 780M integrated graphics, up to 96GB DDR5 5600 MHz RAM, up to 16TB storage:
https://9to5linux.com/system76-refreshes-their-amd-powered-pangolin-linux-laptop-with-2k-display

DXVK 2.5.2 released with implementation for D3D9 shader validation interfaces, bug fixes for The Sims 2 and other games:
https://9to5linux.com/dxvk-2-5-2-improves-support-for-alpha-protocol-borderlands-2-and-other-games

(FOSS news in reply)

Which #desktopenvironment would you use for a nice #gaming setup?

One of this four or something else?

Great! I was waiting so much for this to happen!

My monthly #GNOME Session crash!

I miss the days when it was weekly. Am I doing something wrong?

After two years in development, Xfce 4.20 is finally here with experimental Wayland support, enhanced Thunar performance, and many more novelties. Learn more here!
https://linuxiac.com/xfce-4-20-desktop-environment-released/

When I have some time to kill, I'll make a Desktop Environment Framework using #NuxtJS with #NuxtUI and #SQLite.

In my mind: apps would work seamlessly between desktop environment, no matter the flavor.

The idea: Apps are processes, Desktop Bus ties Window to App, multiple Desktops (screens).

This week's Linux and FOSS news:

LINUX NEWS

Linux kernel 4.19 and 6.11 reach EOL, 6.12 is the next LTS release:
https://9to5linux.com/its-official-linux-kernel-6-12-will-be-lts-supported-for-multiple-years
https://9to5linux.com/linux-kernel-6-11-reaches-end-of-life-its-time-to-upgrade-to-linux-kernel-6-12-lts
https://9to5linux.com/linux-4-19-the-last-of-the-linux-4-x-kernel-series-reaches-end-of-life

COSMIC alpha 4 released with Region & Language and Default Applications settings, COSMIC Media Player as default, new "Details" button in COSMIC Store for monitoring app installations, experimental Accessibility applet with a screenreader toggle etc.:
https://alternativeto.net/news/2024/12/cosmic-desktop-alpha-4-released-with-region-and-languages-default-apps-settings-and-more/

KDE and GNOME plan to make their own (immutable) distros: KDE is working on an Arch based distro code-named "Project Banana", GNOME OS will be a "rebranding" of the existing independent distro carbonOS:
https://news.itsfoss.com/kde-gnome-official-distro/
(Looks like Konqi is feelin' hor... hungry)

GNOME 47.2 released with improvement to the accessibility of keyboard backlight quick setting toggle, avoiding CPU stalls on secondary NVIDIA GPUs with directly attached monitors, fix for touchscreen drag-and-drop on Wayland sessions, improved cursor support when using virtual monitors, fix for maximized X11 when using native Xwayland scaling etc.:
https://9to5linux.com/gnome-47-2-officially-released-with-various-bug-fixes-and-improvements

openSUSE Leap Micro 6.1 released with new opensuse-migration-tool package (for simplified upgrade process), soft-reboot support, TOTP support for PAM (Pluggable Authentication Modules) logins etc.:
https://9to5linux.com/opensuse-leap-micro-6-1-released-with-simplified-and-smoother-upgrades

Last Arch ISO for 2024 available with Linux kernel 6.12, Archinstall 3.0:
https://9to5linux.com/last-arch-linux-iso-release-for-2024-brings-linux-kernel-6-12-and-archinstall-3-0

(More Linux news in reply)

Dear #GNOME:

If I'm able to push the button to turn off the device, then allow me to turn it off even if the session is locked.

The other choice you leave me is to pull the plug.

(This shouldn't be allowed on laptops, tho).